Vodou is not Haiti’s problem; Christianity is. No push to spread Vodou ever wiped out entire “savage” indigenous peoples. Vodou has caused no wars due to a desire to convert as many people as possible. Vodou doesn’t tell “saved souls” that they must be complacent, accepting their lot on Earth for the potential of future salvation in heaven. Vodou never told Black people they were a curse or 3/5ths of a person.

leftover, I don’t mean to do that. I am sorry. I should have backed up and asked if you guys meant religion in the broadest sense. In any case, I agree that there is problem with Big Business Religion. My point was, as with Islam, there is not really a problem with the Christian religion. There is a problem with the way some choose to practice – i.e. imposing their beliefs on others, justifying violence, crimes, or bad behavior by pointing to the religion, getting rich off congregation, manipulation of religious texts…

I admit, I don’t it’s fair to lump Christians all together as one breed.

There is a good side to religion and some cling to that. I don’t think I share a belief system with the RCC. I’m not one for dogma. I call myself a Christian. For me, my Christian practice is less about belief and more about how to conduct myself in a loving and compassionate way. I still have a lot to learn on that, btw.

Religion? Christianity? Or, should the writer have specified the Roman Catholic Church? Not all Christians hold the same beliefs and they certainly don’t all practice their beliefs in the same way, as we all know. Generalizing diminishes the diversity that actually exists and gives more power to those who behave badly (IMO). Bashing all Christians or Religion as a whole doesn’t address specific issues and defers blame where it doesn’t belong. My 2 cents.

I think François bundled the Christians together because prior to the Langlois declaration, (“big social problem”), Haitian Catholics and the RCC had been fairly tolerant of Vodou syncretism. Haitian Protestants never were. Langlois’ official rejection of that syncretism puts the RCC and the Protestants in the same intolerant camp.

That official rejection was made shortly after Bergoglio bypassed more senior Haitian bishops and installed Langlois into the College of Cardinals, appointed him Cardinal-Priest of San Giacomo in Augusta, (a first), and appointed him to the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace and the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, all within just 4 months in 2014. There has to be a reason for that.